Abstract:

The youth unemployment is one of the most pressing problems for every economy. For addressing this issue in the Republic of North Macedonia, numerous project initiatives and activities are in the phase of planning and implementation. Part of these is the implemented project: ‘Building capacities for better employability’. Through the project activities, it was proposed to be institutionalized the stakeholder cooperation for matching education curricula according to labor market needs. In order to increase the employability of students and graduates, the main aim which is also the goal of this study, was developing a methodology for closing the gap between the skills of students and graduates and the Labour market needs, by enhancing the entrepreneurial education dominance in high education curricula. Through advanced understanding of the entrepreneurial mind-set, new opportunities in teaching and learning can enhance the University provision. For that purpose, case studies for the best UK practices in employability were developed and a survey for investigating the needs and requirements of the Macedonian high-educational sector was conducted.

The research findings comprised rich informative set of recommendations that was a base for developing the methodology for closing the skills gap. The methodology was organised in four main levels with a number of institutions (actors) and activities (measures) related to them. The application of this methodology resulted with an outline of a stakeholder plan that offers insights into other areas of study and research possibilities.

The contribution of this study is twofold. It adds on the literature for high-sector education and employability, but also it has practical implications for all stakeholders responsible in coping with the unemployment issue. The proposed methodology assists in monitoring the labour market changes and addressing them with improvements in the university curricula accordingly. It could be a powerful tool in the hands of the stakeholders for better employability of the students/graduates and can facilitate whole process. Overall, it will support the Republic of North Macedonia’s future strategies at Government, University and Faculty level in their strides toward creating more skilful and employable youth.

Keywords:

Employability, higher education, labour market needs, skills mismatch, graduates competences.